HUMANITARIAN CRISIS –URGENT AID NEEDED

A humanitarian crisis is looming across the Horn of Africa due to recent severe droughts coupled with the effects of past and ongoing conflicts. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR), fourteen million people need immediate assistance.

In Somalia, most of the affected people are in Centeral Somalia, Puntland, Somaliland and Mogadishu where the new fighting displaced over 200,000 since june 2009. The secondary rainy season or Deyr (October to December) failed in most of the eight agricultural regions in the south resulting in widespread crop failure. 

  In Djibouti, prolonged drought conditions have caused severe food shortages.

  "Somaliland is experiencing the worst drought in a decade" said Ahmed Yasin, Vice president of SomaliLand and chairman of the national Disaster Committee(NERAD) at a news conference in Hargeisa. Yasin aslo said all six regions of SomalLand are affected by the drought, and 40%  of the population is at risk.

Similarly, the food and water situation is very dire in pastoral areas of northern eastern Kenya, where many deaths due to starvation have been reported. Crop failure and depletion of livestock herds due to prolonged drought have led to famine conditions not seen for decades.

Immediate response to augment the work by the humanitarian organizations on the ground is required to avert further starvation and suffering. We must not allow the repeat of 90's or 2006 drought that devasted the region .

  Efforts are underway to establish feeding centers in the affected areas. With a timely response by the international community, food and water can be pre-positioned=2 0in these areas and millions of lives saved.

  A Dallas-Fort Worth area task force sponsored by Amoud Foundation, a non-profit charity organization, has been formed to raise awareness and raise funds for the drought stricken region.

Online donations can be made at www.amoudfoundation.com , designation: Horn Drought Relief Fund or mailed to Amoud Foundation, PO BOX 165614 IRVING, TX 75016.

For more information, please contact: Amound Foundation – Mohamoud Egal; 

Email: amoud@amoudfoundation.com, Phone#:972-871-8297 or toll free 866-926-6831